AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL
disruption and downtimes. Additionally, verified size changeovers can be combined with guided size changeover for an automatic confirmation of each task, which further increases efficiency. “Semi-automatic size changeovers allow for the highest level of automation in case packing,” continues Bernd. “Motorised format axes enable smooth and near-instant simultaneous adjustment of multiple changeover settings at once, so operators can process a variety of formats and sizes at the touch of a button on the HMI.”
Precise positioning
For a new automated chocolate Easter egg mixing installation at its site in Herentals in Belgium, Mondelez worked with automation technology vendor, Festo, to find the best solution. It wanted to be able to ensure that each pack of chocolate eggs contained a good mix of flavours. The project, which was titled ‘Ergomix’ had the objective of making a labour- intensive packaging operation more ergonomic for operators. Egg production runs practically all year round to enable Mondelez to meet the demand at Easter. Traditionally the eggs were mixed manually, which was a labour-intensive task, with operators having to bring together trays of different flavours.
Once the chocolate eggs come off the forming line and are individually wrapped, they travel, via conveyor belt, to the Ergomix area, where they are initially sorted into large pallet bins by flavour. These trays are then prepared via a robot either for mixing or to be picked up by a mobile robot for temporary storage in a warehouse. Once all the necessary flavours for making a mix are ready, the eggs are transported via funnels to precise positions on a wide conveyor so that all the flavours are lined up next to each other. At the end, the eggs re-enter a pallet bin where the different flavours are perfectly mixed. The first challenge, in terms of drive technology, was to ensure that the eggs were neatly distributed when filling the pallet bins. Otherwise, they would not be level, which would make stacking the bins impossible. The second challenge was positioning the hoppers over the conveyor on which the mix is assembled. This required a flexible system because not every
30 Kennedy’s Confection July 2024
While AI can analyse data and make suggestions, creating new recipes, flavours, and food products involves creativity and innovation that should remain exclusive to humans”
mix contains the same number of different flavours. Finally, a suitable drive also had to be found for the gripper on the robot, which had to be able to move 150kg pallet bins. “Our starting point for the Ergomix project was not to use pneumatics,” explains Bob Aerts of the Engineering Department at Mondelez. “The reasoning was that electric drives score better in terms of
energy consumption and it is also easier to implement all aspects of machine safety.” The Ergomix area is located in the basement in an air-conditioned room and operates fully automatically. To fill the pallet bins evenly, the system has been designed so that the conveyor belt feeding the eggs can be moved left and right via two timing belt shafts equipped with a servo motor
KennedysConfection.com
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